Introducing Kloboucká Lesní’s HQ: using Mass Timber and Solar to eliminate carbon in buildings

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February 11, 2023

• Warm welcome to Wood Central, and other thoughts as industry arrives on new platform

You have arrived at Wood Central. Welcome.

Wood Central is Australia’s first and only dedicated platform covering wood-based media on all digital platforms.

Our vision is to develop an integrated platform for media, events, education, and products that connect, inform, and inspire the people and organisations who work in and promote forestry, timber and fibre.

Our mission is to positively influence specifiers and consumers of timber-based products, using media to grow the market for forest products and share the stories of ‘the ultimate renewable’ – for the industry by the industry.

We believe that by creating a platform which connects people, ideas, and businesses together we can positively shape the future of Australian forest-products now and into the future.

Growing the market for timber through story telling:

Our core business is industry content. Wood Central delivers by using the best journalists and correspondents who have covered the industry for decades, providing authoritative news and comment through a wide reach of editorial, features, events, and education.

Our content is both digital and interactive using new media streams (including social media, podcasting and video) to connect to a growing audience of specifiers and consumers now connecting with wood.

We strive to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for our audience through the delivery of informative, consistent, and engaging content.

Our audience is the total market for timber and fibre-based products. It represents the Australian forest products industry – and consumers of timber, paper and wood-based products.

The forest products industry is one of the largest building material providers in Australia with more than 80% house framing using timber-based frames and trusses.

Our products: advertising, promotion, events and education:

Every great business has products that solve problems. In the world of timber, our mission is to offer products that help businesses connect with consumers.

Through display advertising, content, digital marketing and interactive events and education, Wood Central provides an unrivalled platform to promote a business, a product, or a service to the industry.

Quite simply, nothing else exists that is as targeted, trusted and effective as Wood Central.

Display advertising – brand awareness, lead generation:

Advertising is an effective way to build, define, articulate and manage your brand.

It is a defining instrument to ensure your customers and stakeholders have a clear and informed understanding of your product or the service offered.

Display advertising provides an effective channel to generate qualified leads into a sales funnel.

We work with our partners to ensure your business is speaking with our audience in the most effective and meaningful way to ensure that brand awareness and lead generation are maximised.

Content and marketing:

With the rise and proliferation of social media, both in our personal and professional lives, content and its accessibility is now the foundation of how we make decisions.

Whether it is through blog posts, news articles, video, TV or comments, the way we engage, perceive and trust brands is now anchored by content.

We work with our partners to help engage our community in a meaningful way that contributes to the conversation and education of our industry.

Events using expertise to build lasting relationships:

Combining innovative ideas, need-to-know industry information, expert speakers and interactive formats, Wood Central can provide attendees with the information and inspiration that they need to drive the consumption of timber and paper-based products – even further.

JASON ROSS, Publisher

Jason is an experienced sustainability, marketing and communication professional. Drawing on experience as a senior manager and director in a multi-national business ($400m+ turnover), Jason draws on comprehensive experience overseeing project management teams, using advanced project management skills to secure major opportunities by tender submission or negotiation.

Jason has a passion for green buildings. As a former Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP), he has been an active member of the Queensland GBCA industry committee and has advised the Queensland State Government on environmental protection, heritage, housing and public works.

From 2018 until 2022 Jason managed the Responsible Wood (and PEFC) brands in the Australian and New Zealand market, resulting in a rapid growth in Responsible Wood.

An experienced spokesperson, Jason has presented to a variety of forums including the United Nations (Australia and New Zealand), the Property Council (Australia), Master Builder (Australia), the Building Designer Association of Australia (BDAA), the Australian Institute of Building, the National Retailers Association, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and New Zealand (NZGBC), the PEFC Council (Geneva, Switzerland), the Wood Processors Manufacturing Association (New Zealand) and the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP).

In 2021-22, Jason was awarded a JW Gottstein Fellowship, an international project to explore the role of the circular economy in the Australian forest products industry.

He has a Master’s Degree, Marketing (advanced) from the Queensland University of Technology; is a QUT Graduate School of Management and has a Bachelor Degree, Economics and Management.

JIM BOWDEN, Senior Editor and Co-Publisher

Jim Bowden brings more than 50 years’ experience in agriculture and timber journalism. Since he founded Australian Timberman in 1977, he has been devoted to the forest industry – with a passion.

His career in journalism and media management includes national promotions manager for the Rural Press Group of publications, associate editor and chief of staff, Queensland Country Life, founding editor of The Cattleman, Australian Timberman, Go Camping Australia, Australian Handyman, and Australian Joinery magazines

Jim was managing editor of Timber&Forestry enews (2010-22) and was national secretary of the JW Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund.
He is a foundation member of the Rural Press Club and has edited and published six books on deer farming; goats (meat, fibre and milk; Agriculture – An Extension; “A Child’s Organic Garden; Aquaculture in Australia; Fish Farming for Recreation and Profit; and the Australian Forest Industries Directory (2 editions), and recently a children’s book Aussie Bush Rhymes for Younger Minds.

Jim has led or co-led trade missions to the US, South America, New Zealand, Europe, Malaysia, China and The Philippines. He was leader of the EuroWood 2001 tour to the LIGNA Trade Fair in Hannover, Germany, that also inspected timber machinery plants in Austria and Italy.

As an agricultural journalist, Jim was special UK correspondent for Queensland Country Life for six months based in London and Cardiff, Wales.

An elephant in the room, but a good one… Jim Bowden, leader of the EuroWood 2021 tour to the LIGNA Trade Fair in Hannover, pictured with the Weinig logo on a visit to the German manufacturer’s HQ in Tauberbischofsheim.

National Parks and Other Protected Areas Often Fail to Conserve Earth’s Forests

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September 17, 2024

Neal's research uses satellite data to estimate the effectiveness of government protection on forested land across the globe over 2000–2022. (Photo Credit: Stock Photo ID: 2257001057)

The destruction of nature is a global crisis. Establishing protected areas of forest is a common policy governments use to tackle the problem.

Indeed most countries, including Australia, have signed a global agreement to protect 30% of land by 2030. But to what extent do protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves, actually preserve forests?

My new research examined this question. The findings are the first global-scale estimate of where protected areas are succeeding and failing.

Alarmingly, I found protected areas fail to prevent forest loss in many parts of the world. Clearly, we must make these areas more effective to conserve the remaining diversity of Earth’s plants and animals.

Probing protected areas

Forests are often destroyed through human activity such as logging with chainsaws or the deliberate use of fire. The aim is usually to extract timber, or to clear land for agriculture, roads, housing or other human purposes.

Natural bushfires can also damage forests. In some cases, ecosystems are so badly burnt they cannot recover. There’s a link to human activity here too, because human-caused climate change is leading to more severe, frequent, and wider-ranging bushfires in places such as Australia.

I wanted to know how well protected areas prevent forests from being lost.

To work this out, I first took a map that covers the precise boundaries of about 300,000 of the world’s protected areas. I overlaid it with high-resolution satellite data from between 2001 and 2022 showing forest loss just inside and just outside these boundaries.

This method assumed if forest loss was much higher just outside the boundary of a protected area than inside, the protection was working.

Conversely, if forest loss was relatively similar inside and outside the boundary, that shows the protection did not have a strong effect.

This idea can apply even if forest loss on both sides of the boundary is low – because it suggests the area is remote or otherwise not sought-after for human activity. In these cases, we have no evidence that protection is effective, because the forest probably would have been retained even if the protection wasn’t in place.

What I found

I found protected areas prevent an average 30% of forest loss that would have occurred if the policy was not in place. Forest loss occurred in protected areas in all countries – including Australia – but less frequently than in unprotected forest.

The 30% figure is discouragingly low. But it does indicate protected areas are effective to some degree. And effectiveness varies significantly across countries, as the below graphic shows.

World map showing red, blue, apricot and white areas — World map showing effectiveness of protected areas around the world. Red is least effective, dark blue is most effective. White indicates data was insufficient. Author provided

The policy is almost completely ineffective in many countries, including Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bolivia, Venezuela, Madagascar, Russia and Gabon. Several of these countries house vast amounts of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. Most, but not all, are developing economies.

In the case of forest loss due to fire, protected areas in advanced economies were also ineffective in some cases.

Australia is a good example. Protected areas here were fairly effective from 2001 to 2018. But the horrific 2019–20 Black Summer fires burned indiscriminately through large swathes of protected forest.

In better news, protected areas were highly effective in some areas, such as New Zealand, Canada, Scandinavia and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).

man looks at snowy mountain landscape — Protected areas in Canada are reasonably effective. (Photo Credit: Shutterstock)

What this all means

My research illustrates the large improvements needed in many protected areas across the globe to genuinely conserve forests. More research is also needed to understand the best policies to achieve this, before it’s too late.

Developing countries clearly need help to protect their forests. Corruption, political instability, and a lack of resources can make it difficult for governments in these nations to enforce forest conservation laws. Government indifference can also play a role.

How do we turn this around? Schemes such as REDD+, which pays local communities to conserve forest that may otherwise be cleared, could be scaled up.

Foreign aid for forest conservation, from countries such as Australia, can also help. And non-government organisations such as African Parks can put rangers on the ground to help patrol and enforce the integrity of protected areas.

Technology such as real-time deforestation alerts from satellite data can also help.

My findings also highlight the threat climate change poses to forest ecosystems in Australia and elsewhere. Obviously, fire does not respect the boundaries of a national park or other protected area.

So yes, it’s great to see governments around the world signing up to protect 30% of their land. But my work shows attention is needed to make sure those protected areas are working.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

Solving NZ’s Log Dispute with India Starts Reaping Trade Benefits

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September 17, 2024

In December, NZ and India held their first bilateral meetings between Minister Shri Piyush Goyal (right) from the Indian Commerce and Industry and NZ Agriculture Minister Todd McClay (left) (Photo Credit: Supplied by Indian National Government)

New Zealand has successfully restored its log trade with India, once worth NZD 250 million a year, after shipments started arriving at Indian ports in March / April. The uptake in trade was one of the government’s major achievements this year, according to Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Agriculture, who celebrated the resolution of 14 Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs).

“In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to Kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our trade value and make it easier for businesses to expand into key international markets,” Minister McClay told reporters on Sunday. “Returning value to exporters directly supports our ambitious target of doubling exports by value in ten years — and with one in four Kiwi jobs tied to trade, it means more money in the back pockets of thousands of hard-working New Zealanders.”

Tackling NZ’s long-running Methyl Bromide dispute is key to closing export gap

In February, Wood Central revealed that ironing out NZ’s long-running methyl bromide dispute with India was among the country’s top trade objectives, with Minister McClay pushing to restore the $200m plus hole in log exports after successful fumigation trials conducted by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), which saw the treatment of timbers occur in India rather than in New Zealand.

image 24.png 2 — Port Nelson is one of NZ’s largest regional terminals, exporting forestry products including logs, sawn and processed timber to China, South Korea and, until the fumigation dispute, India (Photo Credit: Supplied from LINX Cargo Care Group Twitter)

Until recently, India was among NZ’s top 3 markets for sawn wood, with NZ Forest Owners Association President Grant Dobson stressing its importance in protecting the country’s long-term interests: “It’s vital to get back into India. The longer we are out of that market, the harder it will be to get back in,” Mr Dobson said last year.

Now, Wood Central can reveal that more than 191,000 cubic metres of radiata pine logs arrived at Indian ports from April to June, with Scott Downs, PF Olsen’s Director of Sales and Marketing, reporting that increased shipments (from Australia, New Zealand, and Uruguay) are now arriving at port.

“Boosting the export value of farming, forestry, horticulture, and wine production are vital to our economy, as we oppose distortionary agricultural subsidies through the WTO to enhance global food security,” according to Minister McClay.

Minister McClay confirmed that the following NTBs have been resolved:

Resolved a barrier that had affected $5 million in trade device exports to Mexico.
Resolved labelling issues in South Korea that cleared a shipment of New Zealand cheese worth $1.8 million.
Reduced regulatory burdens for wine and spirits exporters, including expanded labelling flexibility, with the EU.
Restored onion exports to Indonesia, NZ’s largest onion market, through streamlined phytosanitary certification.
Restored log exports to India following changes to NZ’s fumigation practices.

To learn more about New Zealand exports, including the New Zealand government’s strategy to sell timber into more and more markets, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.

EUDR Update: What it Means for the Global Supply Chain for Timber

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September 17, 2024

The EU are in the process of introducing the world's strongest deforestation laws. As the third largest timber market in the world, behind China and the US, it will have major implications for global supply chains for forest products. (Image Credit: Getty Images)

The European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) (otherwise known as Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) is the European Union’s (EU) attempt to combat global deforestation and forest degradation. The regulation is scheduled to come into force for large companies on 30 December 2024 and for small and medium enterprises on 30 June 2025.

Under this regulation, companies must verify that certain products, such as timber and other forest-related commodities, including cocoa, coffee, and palm oil, do not originate from deforested land. Strict due diligence obligations are imposed, and detailed geolocation data for supply chains must be provided to demonstrate that products are not linked to deforestation activities after 31 December 2020.

The EUDR is seen as a crucial step in the EU’s efforts to protect global forests and biodiversity, positioning the EU as a leader in sustainable trade practices.

The EUDR will assign a country or region a risk level (low, standard, or high) based on its deforestation risk. This classification will dictate the intensity of the due diligence process required from companies operating or importing from the country or region. For example, operators dealing with products from high-risk areas are expected to undergo more rigorous inspections, with up to 9% of their operations being subject to control.

To aid the implementation of the EUDR, the EU is developing important technological and logistical support systems. These efforts include a Data Distribution Service (DDS) Information System (see Figure 1), which is intended to assist companies in managing and modifying due diligence declarations more efficiently, notably through the Deforestation Due Diligence Registry (DDDR).

Additionally, collaboration with various technology partners is ongoing to improve the accuracy and reliability of geolocation data. The EU conducts risk assessments, with third-party organisations classifying countries based on their risk of deforestation. However, feedback from the industry and organisations indicates that these tools are still in the early stages and require significant IT resources, raising concerns about their accessibility, particularly for smaller businesses.

Moreover, international suppliers have raised concerns regarding data privacy and the feasibility of providing precise geolocation data, which is critical for compliance.

Figure 1: DDS Information System Roadmap

Despite the EU’s commitment to enforcing the EUDR, it faces considerable international opposition. Major players in the global forest product markets, such as China and the United States, have expressed serious concerns. For instance, China has refused to share geolocation data due to security concerns, leading to a stalemate in discussions with the EU. Similarly, the US has criticised the regulation as a “non-tariff trade barrier,” arguing that it could disrupt the USD 3.5 billion forest product trade between the two regions. In response to these challenges, calls have been made by several industry groups and international governments for the regulation’s implementation to be delayed, allowing more time for compliance and mitigating potential disruptions to global supply chains.

Similarly, several Asian countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, have expressed concerns about the regulation’s impact on agricultural exports. They argue that the EUDR unfairly burdens developing nations and could hinder their economic growth.

To summarise, exporters of wood products, particularly from the Americas and Southeast Asia, will likely encounter significant challenges under the EUDR. The requirement for precise geolocation data and adherence to EU and local environmental laws may pose difficulties for exporters reliant on small-scale or informal supply chains. For instance, tracing wood products to their exact plot of origin could lead to increased costs and operational delays, especially in regions where such data is challenging to obtain. Smaller exporters who may lack the technological resources to meet these stringent requirements risk being marginalised. This could result in some exporters withdrawing from the EU market altogether and instead focusing on regions with less stringent environmental regulations.

As the EUDR’s implementation deadline approaches, stakeholders are placing increasing pressure on the EU to provide clearer guidance and more robust digital infrastructure to support the regulation’s implementation. Concerns about the feasibility of complying with the regulation’s stringent requirements have been voiced by stakeholders from various sectors, including the timber, coffee, and cocoa industries. Additionally, developing countries, particularly those in the Global South, have highlighted the potential economic impacts on small-scale farmers and exporters who may struggle to meet the EUDR’s demands.

On the other hand, preparations for the EUDR have already begun by many businesses worldwide, with supply chains being reassessed to ensure compliance. This preparation involves mapping supply chains to trace products back to their origin, conducting risk assessments, and forming partnerships with certified suppliers who can guarantee deforestation-free products. For instance, the Indonesian government is developing a supply chain traceability dashboard to assist its producers in meeting the EUDR’s requirements. Similarly, Africa’s cocoa sector companies are enhancing their traceability systems to align with the regulation. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature’s June 2024 Agrospecials Edition 11 reports on deforestation-free practices and initiatives in seventeen countries:

https://magazines.rijksoverheid.nl/lnv/agrospecials/2024/02

Moreover, the EU remains committed to enforcing the regulation, emphasising its long-term environmental benefits while collaborating with partner countries to address challenges and ensure fair implementation.

Looking ahead, the EUDR is expected to impact global trade and environmental governance significantly. Although the regulation aims to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable supply chains, its success will depend on the ability of both the EU and its trading partners to navigate the complex web of regulatory requirements, geopolitical tensions, and market dynamics.

Companies involved in the affected commodities should begin preparing now by conducting thorough risk assessments, mapping their supply chains, and investing in the necessary technology to ensure compliance. While the EUDR’s long-term outlook remains positive, with the potential to drive meaningful change in global trade practices and environmental conservation, its implementation will undoubtedly require ongoing collaboration and adaptation from all stakeholders involved.

Please note: This is an extract from Margules Groome’s website – a global consultant specialising in forestry, wood products, bio solutions, pulp & paper, and agricultural tree crop sectors. For more information, visit Wood Central’s special feature on EUDR and its implications for the global supply chain of forest products from July 2023.

Trump or Harris: Who is Best to Cut 20-Month Apartment Red Tape?

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September 17, 2024

1510 Webster Street, developed by oWOW in downtown Oakland, California. Wood Central understands that the project is an example of a new type of mass timber construction system being used to reduce the cost, speed up construction and address some of the roadblocks to ramp up social and affordable housing (Photo Credit: DCI Engineers)

Less than two months before the presidential election, (former) President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are scrambling to meet demand for housing – with the industry (and developers) now drowning in red tape and zoning rules.

Last month, Wood Central revealed that the multifamily lending market (considered a sweet spot for mass timber construction) nosedived 49%, with more than 42% of the US $246.2 billion in loans written for Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2023 – and comes after Wood Central reported that developers are being crowded out of a market now flooded with an oversupply of lumber.

Now, new data obtained from the 2023 Survey of Construction (SOC)—part of the US Census Bureau—reveals that the average time to complete a multifamily building after authorisation (or from permit approval to construction) has spiked to more than 19.9 months—an increase of 0.1 months in 2023 and more than 2.4 months above 2022 levels.

“The average time to build multifamily homes varies with the number of units in the building,” according to the National Association of Home Buildings, “the more units, the more time required to build.”

Wood Central understands that the squeeze for approvals is especially prevalent in the West (20.9 months from permit-to-completion), followed by the Northeast (20.8 months) and the South (19.5 months). The Midwest has the shortest period, at just 17.3 months.

“In 2023, buildings with 20 or more units took the longest time, 22 months, to build after obtaining authorisation. Properties with 10 to 19 units require 21.5 months. However, 2-to-4-unit buildings took 18.7 months, longer than 5-to-9-unit buildings (16.9 months).”

Why social and affordable (multifamily) housing is shaping election

Last month, Diana Yentel, the President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said that Trump and Harris are now targeting low-income (rather than middle-class) housing to secure swing votes.

“Before 2020, when presidential candidates talked about housing, it was always about middle-class home ownership.” Now, both parties are prioritising the issue “much more than they have before,” including “the needs of people with the lowest incomes,” said Ms Yentel, in part because of “the severity itself” of the crisis.

America is now flooded with an oversupply of lumber, with the failure of Fed Reserve rate cuts leading to a stop-start housing economy. (Photo Credit: Maksym Yemelyanov / Alamy Stock Photo)

“What we want from housing is for it to both be affordable and for it to be a way to generate wealth,” according to Chen Zhao, economics lead at the real estate company Redfin, who spoke to NBC News. “The problem is that you can’t generate wealth without prices going up, and if prices are going up, they’re no longer affordable.”

“Supply is the No. 1 thing we must be worried about,” said Zhao. “The main thing we need to do is to build more supply, and one of the main constraints — perhaps the main constraint to building more supply — often is local zoning rules and building regulations.”

To learn more about the housing policies tabled by (former) President Trump and Vice President Harris, and the role of new timber systems in easing the squeeze for multifamily construction, click on Wood Central’s special feature.

Cape Town Breaks Ground with World’s First 3D Ply Timber Dome!

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September 17, 2024

Earlier this year, construction crews put the finishing touches on the Greenpoint Educational Dome Project - the world's first 3D mass timber dome. (Photo Credit: MEWA)

The world’s first 3D dome built out of “extreme mass timber” has been raised in Cape Town, South Africa. Its new superstructure combines 20 massive beams (all made from marine ply) connected to a timber ring anchored into place with steel brackets.

Known as the “Green Point Education Dome,” the project comes after seven years of planning by the City of Cape Town and more than three years after it broke ground (in late 2020).

One of just 12 dome structures built out of timber worldwide, the Green Point Dome is the first “that it has 15 x 3-dimensional circles of different sizes attached to the (20) beams,” said MEWA, one of South Africa’s top timber fabricators: “These form the footing for 3-dimensional quadrangular panels built from marine ply,” connecting to a curved moulded glass dome measuring 2 metres wide, 16 millimetres thick and weighing more than 155 kilograms.

ity d 1024x576 fotor 20240917113859 — The world’s first 3D plywood dome has been fully erected after over three years of construction. (Photo Credit: MEWA)

It is the first roof to use curved steel plates to form a perfect three-dimensional roof, using geometry that has not been used for more than 60 years…

Dubbed “3D ply,” a first for South Africa, the timbers were manufactured at the MEWA factory before being assembled in Green Point Stadium Park. The beams slotted into the upper ring thanks to massive dovetail joints, and the timber ring pieced together like a giant doughnut, using 20 angled segments cross-laminated many times for added strength.

2 fotor 20240917114349 — Twenty massive beams (all made from marine ply) connect to the timber ring and are anchored into place with steel brackets. (Photo Credit: MEWA)

According to Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, the dome marks a crucial juncture for the city – the first in Africa to be recognised as a UNESCO City of Design – which is looking to build more buildings out of greener materials (like timber).

“Mass timber is the newest and greenest system of carbon-conscious construction in the world today, and the come has been one of the catalysts for accelerating this construction in South Africa,” Alderman Andrews said.

It is the first three-dimensional mass timber dome ever to be built. There are 12 mass timber domes worldwide, all of which are two-dimensional, comprising 12 or more segments of two dimensions and relying on the human brain to make them look dome-shaped.
Eddie Andrews, Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor

Wood Central understands that the timber of choice is locally sourced South African poplar, which is chosen due to its hard-wearing properties. The poplar was sourced from the Karoo, cut to size and air-dried. In addition, the design, inspired by the traditional dwellings of the Khoi, one of South Africa’s First Nation groups, was a visionary idea that required a unique architectural approach.

1 fotor 20240917114125 — Wood Central understands the Green Point Education Dome has been fully operational since July 2024. (Photo Credit: MEWA)

According to James Vos, a Mayco member for economic growth, the dome will now be placed in one of Cape Town’s most beloved spaces, a park attracting more than 1 million visitors annually. “This fantastic three-dimensional mass timber dome is an incredible addition that celebrates Khoi heritage and will complement the interactive, fun, and beautiful elements that park visitors enjoy.”

To learn how mass timber (and bamboo) is spurring development in the Global South, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.

NZ Split Over Forestry Rules as Firms Eye Australia & South Africa

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September 17, 2024

Non-compliance with resource management consents exposed after enormous amount of forestry slash is washed up after heavy rain and flooding onto beaches and into farmland around the East Coast of New Zealand`s North Island, especially in the Tolaga Bay district. (Photo Credit: Dreamstime)

The mayor of Gisborne wants reassurances that her council will not lose its ability to apply strict rules to forestry on vulnerable land. It comes as Wood Central reported that the New Zealand government would roll back “unworkable rules” in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Wood Central understands that the Luxon government wants to repeal parts of the commercial forestry legislation that allow councils to make the rules more or less stringent regarding slash management and freshwater.

However, speaking to RNZ, Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said that the region’s eroding and vulnerable lands needed stricter forestry rules: “My clear understanding is that (the rules proposed) are aimed at the lower risk areas; however, here in Tairāwhiti, that is not our concern. We have a unique geology and topography with higher risk areas.”

Now, Mayor Stoltz wants reassurance from New Zealand’s Forestry Minister Todd McClay “that the rules would not affect the work that (the council) is trying to do to have a “central purpose” for higher-risk areas.”

It comes as “absolutely impossible” consent conditions are causing New Zealand forestry companies to “bleed money,” forcing some to move to Australia, South Africa or further offshore. As reported by RNZ, harvesting has already stopped in some areas of Tairawhiti, a direct fallout after the district was smashed by devastating cyclones last year.

Sawn wood is one of New Zealand's most imports - however sluggish timber demand in NZ is now putting the trade of logs, NZ’s fourth largest export industry, at risk. (Photo Credit: Millenius / Alamy Stock Photo) — Sawn wood is one of New Zealand’s biggest exports – however, surging compliance costs and energy prices are now putting the trade of logs, NZ’s fourth largest export industry, at risk. (Photo Credit: Millenius / Alamy Stock Photo)

At a Gisborne District Council Sustainable Tairāwhiti committee meeting earlier this month, Julian Kohn, a 65-year-old veteran of the forestry industry, said conditions are the most difficult he has seen in more than 45 years that he has been in the industry.

“If I were a board member for these companies, I’d be seriously asking myself why we are still in Gisborne and what we are doing here, ” he told the committee. “We’re not making any money.

“Capital is very mobile. Those companies could very easily decide to cut their losses and go to Australia or South Africa or wherever they can make better money.”

“Forestry in New Zealand is extremely difficult… forestry in Gisborne is worse than extremely difficult. Every person I talk to in the industry says they won’t invest in Gisborne.”

With the election of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, attention now turns to National’s red tape reduction programme which is looking to reduce red and green tape to stimulate the country’s economy . (Photo Credit: Office of Christopher Luxon) — With the election of PM, Christopher Luxon, attention now turns to National’s “Better Building and Construction Policy,” which proposed a boost in funding for the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) to drive greater sustainability in the built environment. (Photo Credit: Office of Christopher Luxon)

According to Todd McClay, the current rules introduced by the former Chris Hipkins government in the lead-up to last year’s election are an “unworkable regulatory burden” that created confusion and cost. For instance, he said, “Foresters could be required to get consent for new plantings in areas with little risk.”

“It’s important that forestry rules are nationally consistent and always based on clearly demonstrable evidence,” Minister McClay said, adding that the government would make changes to ensure councils had a “comprehensive fit-for-purpose” toolkit with all the rules in one place.

The rules governing “low-risk slash” would also be clarified, he said:

“These changes will allow the councils to focus on the most at-risk areas and work with the forestry sector to lower costs and deliver better social and environmental outcomes.”

For what it’s worth, Minter Ellison, one of the country’s top legal firms, has welcomed the reforms, arguing that inconsistencies in rules across jurisdictions have caused compliance costs to spike.

“It appears likely that a local authority’s ability to introduce more stringent or lenient rules within their districts/regions will be significantly reduced,” according to Minter Ellison: “This is likely to be a positive step for the forestry sector, who have been grappling with different rules applying across their forests, increasing regulatory compliance and costs.”

Minister Ellison said the Luxon Government is proposing to:

Repeal regulation 6(4A), which says a rule in a plan may be more stringent or lenient than the NES-CF regulations relating to afforestation;
Modify regulation 6(1)(a), which says a rule in a plan may be more stringent than the NES-CF regulations if the rule gives effect to an objective developed to give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and
Improve slash management standards to clarify rules around slash on low-risk land.

For more information about New Zealand’s forest policy, click on Wood Central’s special feature.

Do Century-Old Timber Beams Perform as Well as New Ones?

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September 16, 2024

The research could see timbers—like those used in Australia's Murtoa' Stick Shed'—reused in the next generation of projects.

Reusing and upcycling century-old beams could help fill the supply gap amid surging demand for timber products—expected to grow 49% over the next 25 years—and the drive for a fully circular economy.

It comes as Norway’s standards agency, Standard Norge, is drafting new standards (NS 3691-3) that will visually determine the strength of recyclable timber beams and provide a pathway for reusable structural beams in new projects. SINTEF, one of the country’s peak research bodies, is already testing century-old beams for reuse.

“We’re measuring applied force and deformations, which will enable us to say a lot about the strength of the beams”, according to Senior Adviser Sigurd Eide. “Many of them exhibit properties that are at least as good as new materials,” he said, adding that there are some characteristics that “can tell us a great deal about the strength of the timber.”

By and large, reusable beams are grey in colour and marked by the passage of time. Before testing the beams, researchers record any cracks or notches on the timber:

“We also measure the closeness of the annual rings and examine how the timber has been cut about the orientation of the grain in the wood,” Eide said. “Ideally, they should be cut parallel to the grain. The closer the alignment, the better. We also measure moisture content. We thus have quite a good idea of which beams are strong enough, even before we test them.”

The push to use more and more recycled timber comes as Wood Central reported that the FAO’s The State of the World’s Forests 2024: Forest-sector Innovations Towards a More Sustainable Future reported that demand for roundwood production might jump by as much as 272 million cubic metres per year by 2050.

Last year, Wood Central reported on emerging evidence that timber (specifically mass timbers) has a much higher recycling and reusable upcycle rate than ‘green steel’ and recycled concrete. At the same time, the market for reclaimed or recycled timbers has been identified as a growing market that meets the growing needs of construction—with Wood Central last year reporting that the market is expected to reach $74 billion by 2030.

Jordan Uses AI and Space Tech to Revive Middle East’s Lost Forests

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September 16, 2024

Plantation of date palms intended for healthy food production. Dates production is a rapidly developing agriculture industry in desert areas of the Middle East. (Photo Credit: Stock Photo ID: 1862304256)

Global governments are now using space technologies and artificial intelligence to collect data about forest assets and link it to climate data. This comes as Jordan, which shares a boundary with Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, has signed a Heads of Agreement with the Sustainable World Software Technology Company, a Middle Eastern tech company helping to green up the Gulf.

According to Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture, Kjaled Hunaifat, the new agreement is an important step in restoring Jordan’s forest canopy—which stands at just 1.1% of the land area—”integrating modern technologies to provide data that will guide strategies to preserve forest wealth and expand green cover.” The project, part of the National Plan for Sustainable Agriculture, will use direct and satellite monitoring to support food security and sustainable forest management.

Jordan website — Jordan is looking to ramp up its environmental commitment as part of its nationwide determined contributions (NDC). (Photo Credit: Ahmad Hijazi / UNDP Jordan)

For Abrar Otaibi, general manager of Sustainable World Software, the company’s goal is to use space and AI-driven geospatial technology to support the ministry’s efforts in sustainably managing forests, adapting to climate change, and promoting rural development. The project will also generate carbon credits and aid in global climate change mitigation efforts.

Wood Central understands the forest inventory will provide the following:

Critical data on forest health and distribution.
Helping to develop strategies for biodiversity conservation.
Combating desertification.
Expanding green areas in line with sustainable development goals.

In October 2021, Jordan submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDC), which includes a commitment to restore its forests, land, and nature – as Jordan looks to redress massive deforestation and land clearing caused by huge influxes of refugees over the past 100 years.

“That landscape has seen drastic changes in the last 100 years: Multiple influxes of refugees have caused the population to balloon from around 5,000 people to some 4 million. What was once a collection of forested Mediterranean valleys has largely been paved over,” according to Jason Ruffin, who wrote about the push to restore Jordan’s lost forests.

“The crisis is of our own doing, but I think we also have the power to repair the damage by understanding and working with nature instead of against it,” said Nochi Motoharu, a Japanese environmentalist who is now helping Jordan preserve and regrow its forests.

To learn more about the role of AI and machine learning in disrupting the management of global forests, click on Wood Central’s special feature.

Germany Seeks Delay: Is the EUDR on the Brink of Collapse?

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September 16, 2024

The EUDR is a major risk to the European supply chain of forest-based products - including pulp, paper and packaging. (Photo Credit: alexlmx via Adobe Stock Images)

The European Union’s largest member state is reversing its total commitment to the EUDR…with Olaf Scholz, Germany’s Chancellor, raising alarm at the new rules, dubbed by the European People’s Party (EPP)—Europe’s largest single political party—a “bureaucratic monster.”

Wood Central understands that Germany’s concerns—echoed by China and the United States, the world’s largest forest economies—centre on tracking the origins of forest products (for example, a piece of timber or a ream of paper) back to thousands of forest plots.

“To be clear: The regulation must be practicable,” Chancellor Scholz told German-based newspaper lobby BDZV, who has now personally asked the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, to put the EUDR – Europe’s signature deforestation regulation – on ice.

Chancellor Scholz’s push is the first time a major European leader has pressured the European Commission to delay the rules, which were set to come into effect on December 30, 2024. It comes after Peter Liese, EPP’s environmental spokesperson, said the EUDR was a trainwreck and “the fault of the greens, socialists, leftists and…French Liberals.”

11948900 800x450 1 696x392.jpg — Peter Liese, a prominent German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and the EPP’s environment spokesperson has spearheaded the opposition to the law’s imminent enforcement. (Photo Credit: EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK)

Already, the new rules have unified China, the world’s largest consumer (and manufacturer) of forest products, and the United States, the largest producer, who both oppose the “non-tariff trade barrier.” Their discontent comes after twenty (out of 27) European Agricultural Ministers called for rules to be delayed amid concerns over global supply chains, echoing warnings from government officials in Australia, New Zealand, India, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The new law, formed after a pledge made at the COP26 climate conference, has been slammed for creating up to $2.5 billion in compliance red tape and not giving those impacted, including millions of Vietnamese smallholders, time to prepare. In turn, this has led global analysts to learn that the new regulation could put more than $110 billion in annual trade between Europe and the six continents at risk.

In its current form, “the EUDR represents a major threat to the production of printed products for the general public, but also to press products, election documents, technical documentation, labels, and packaging, which are all part of critical infrastructure,” BDZN warns.

Germany's push to establish a model for ecosystem services comes amid a push by EU member states to create a Green Deal across the world's third-largest economic block. (Photo Credit: ID 304549077 | Eu Map Icon © Fabrizio Annovi | Dreamstime.com) — Germany is the largest member state in the European Union – with the current President of the European Commission being the former German Defence Minister. (Photo Credit: ID 304549077 | Eu Map Icon © Fabrizio Annovi | Dreamstime.com)

Last month, Wood Central reported that the new rules could breach European laws – in particular, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 191, paragraph 2, with a legal expert explaining that “the EUDR violates EU law by splitting the single market into multiple markets and classifying EU countries into risk categories.”

Why are pulp and paper vulnerable under the EUDR?

More than 6 million tonnes of pulp are imported into the European Union every year, leading to fears that the paper and board industries are amongst the most exposed and unprepared for the EUDR – causing supply shortages and price hikes across supply chains. As a result, a large share of trade that currently enters the EU could be traded through Asia instead, “leading to an unintended increase in the use of high-deforestation-risk pulp and paper outside Europe.”

📚 NEW! @OfficialZSL's latest SPOTT research on the world's top tropical #Timber & #Pulp companies indicates the sector is not yet ready for the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (#EUDR).

Find out more 👉 https://t.co/4K4CFn1m8d pic.twitter.com/HCQ6q6NZL7
— ZSL SPOTT (@ZSLSPOTT) August 15, 2023

Last year, a report by the Zoological Society of London warned that the world’s top 100 pulp and paper producers were not EUDR-ready.

That is according to a report published by Fast Markets, showing that Europe’s reliance on imported bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) and bleached softwood kraft (BSK)—used to produce paper and board products—is triggering uncertainty among European importers.

“At first glance, the issue may not appear overly complex, considering Europe has a surplus of net trade in pulp,” Fast Markets said. “Out of all the pulp used for paper production in Europe, 60% is integrated and 40% is market pulp.” However, “the challenge lies with the pulp segment.”

Europe relies heavily on imports from Brazil, North America and Chile to make market pulp, with its over-reliance on Brazil imports a red flag “due to the chances of the country being classified as having a high risk of deforestation, leading to even more rigorous compliance requirements.”

2T1R05X 1024x683.jpg 2 — Brazil is among the EU’s top import markets for bleached kraft hardwood (BKH), with concerns that the EUDR’s new risk-based system could make it difficult to trace wood chips to individual forest plots.(Photo Credit: JJ Gouin / Alamy Stock Photo)

As it stands, up to 50% of BHK pulp is imported into the EU, and “given the widespread use of woodchips, BSK producers face greater challenges in complying with the EUDR due to the complexities of tracing fibres back to individual forest plots,” the report said: “Should these imports stop suddenly, there would be a significant decrease in BHK pulp availability in the region.”

Beyond pulp, the new rules could also disrupt graphic paper, with Wood Central reporting that the industry is facing two challenges:

The first is “difficulties in obtaining enough market pulp at a reasonable price, which could increase production costs and put domestic production at risk.”
The second “is a potential for disruptions in global trade,” adding that “without changes in domestic demand or capacity, operating rates for European graphic paper could decrease by as much as 11% from our current forecast, putting even more producers at risk.”

No Delay: EU Vows to Push On with EUDR

In July, Wood Central reported that the European Union remained fully committed to rolling out the EUDR after European Environmental Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius wrote to the Confederation of European Paper Industries advising that there is no indication that Brussels will delay the starting date.

“We are hearing feedback from some stakeholders that preparation for implementation may be challenging,” Mr Sinkevicius said. “However, we also see encouraging signs in many sectors and countries working to align with EUDR requirements.”

How the EUDR will work

The regulation will assign regions within countries inside and outside the EU a low, standard, or high-risk level associated with deforestation and forest degradation.
This risk classification will guide the obligations of various operators and the authorities in member states to perform inspections and controls. Consequently, this will streamline monitoring for high-risk regions and simplify due diligence processes for low-risk regions.
Authorities responsible for these areas must inspect 9% of operators and traders dealing with products from high-risk regions, 3% from standard-risk areas, and 1% from low-risk regions. This inspection aims to confirm whether they are effectively meeting the obligations stipulated by the regulation.
Further, these competent authorities will inspect 9% of relevant goods and products either placed on their market, made available, or exported by high-risk regions.
Lastly, the EU plans to enhance its cooperation with partner countries, focusing primarily on high-risk areas.

For more information, visit Wood Central’s special feature on EUDR and its implications for the global supply chain of forest products from July 2023

How a Foldable Timber Shelter Was Pitched 2850m Above Alps

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September 16, 2024